need some good advice please

[ridgescan]

If you guys owned a super rare and coveted radio that is worth a small fortune and you had to give it to someone who you never had met, 70 miles away, and he said he would need it for a month or two to get it running and give it a total refurbishing-how would you go about making it a secure situation? Would you have something in writing? Would you video dropping it to his house? What would you do?

 

[n5ims]

You might want to do several things. For sure get it in writing what they will do for you (including price) and include something to cover you if it gets lost, stolen, or damaged. If you drop it off in person, get a receipt signed by them to authenticate delivery.

What may be a better delivery option is to take it to a "pack and ship" business and have them professionally pack it and with delivery by a major company (like FedEx, UPS) that gives you delivery confirmation along with a signature of who it was delivered to. Insurance for the delivery trip should also be purchased for the full value. What this will give you is 1) someone to testify to the condition of the item, how it was packed, etc. 2) someone to testify that it was infact delivered, when, and to whom.

Think about all of the steps in the process and what you can do to protect yourself on each of them. Remember though that an independent and professional business stating something is probably worth more to the court than you saying you did something (video showing you did will help, but could be argued to have been rigged to show something that didn't actually happen). Things will most likely go well regardless, but if you're worried now, take steps now to cover this worry as well as help you make your case if things do go badly and end up in court.

 

[k9rzz]

Sx-99?

 

[ridgescan]

You might want to do several things. For sure get it in writing what they will do for you (including price) and include something to cover you if it gets lost, stolen, or damaged. If you drop it off in person, get a receipt signed by them to authenticate delivery.

What may be a better delivery option is to take it to a "pack and ship" business and have them professionally pack it and with delivery by a major company (like FedEx, UPS) that gives you delivery confirmation along with a signature of who it was delivered to. Insurance for the delivery trip should also be purchased for the full value. What this will give you is 1) someone to testify to the condition of the item, how it was packed, etc. 2) someone to testify that it was infact delivered, when, and to whom.

Think about all of the steps in the process and what you can do to protect yourself on each of them. Remember though that an independent and professional business stating something is probably worth more to the court than you saying you did something (video showing you did will help, but could be argued to have been rigged to show something that didn't actually happen). Things will most likely go well regardless, but if you're worried now, take steps now to cover this worry as well as help you make your case if things do go badly and end up in court.

Thanks for this sound advice. This is not a business I am considering (wish it was) but a guy who will work on it in his spare time. You gave some excellent points here thank you. If I do this I already removed the chassis from its casing-this way it's not the complete radio. He would never find another casing for this radio.


k9 I have a 1954 sx-88 serial #127. These radios were only made in 1954-55 and only a few exist.

I bought this radio in 1988 from an estate sale for $40. The guy had it down in the basement with crap piled on top of it. The stainage in the chassis is from a mouse or two that took up residence inside it (The Rodent Royale Suite) It ran like a champ till 2003.

 

[corbintechboy]

That is a nice radio indeed!

One of the great things about tube radios is that %99 of the time when they quit working it is indeed a tube.

I would test what I can (Go out and buy a meter) there at your home. Check switches and whatnot. Check wires. Check PSU. If all checks out you indeed know its a tube. Start trying to find tubes and replace.

The good news would be it would indeed be hit and miss and would be a DIY job and you don't have to worry about it. AND... It stays safe in your home while getting some new good tubes in case another fails... This way you have them and we all know that the good ones WILL fail someday.

Not gonna say anything bad about your repair man, I don't know him/her. But I will say I would have a hard time trusting anyone with something I know I could not replace if things went sour. There are good people in this world and there are bad! Any safety measure you take can backfire in your face (serial numbers get scratched off, a back DOES get found etc...).

Just my $.02

 

[k9rzz]

Agreed. There are some fine Hallicrafters restorers out there, you should be able to find one that you can trust. Try the eHam review section. That's how I've picked my service men in the past.

Aside: I remember when I was in 7th grade, just when I was getting an interest in electronics, there was a building within sight of the corner I waited for the bus at, that had a 30 ft high ad painted on the wall for Hallicrafters. The building is long gone, but the memory is not.

 

[ridgescan]

That is a nice radio indeed!

One of the great things about tube radios is that %99 of the time when they quit working it is indeed a tube.

I would test what I can (Go out and buy a meter) there at your home. Check switches and whatnot. Check wires. Check PSU. If all checks out you indeed know its a tube. Start trying to find tubes and replace.

The good news would be it would indeed be hit and miss and would be a DIY job and you don't have to worry about it. AND... It stays safe in your home while getting some new good tubes in case another fails... This way you have them and we all know that the good ones WILL fail someday.

Not gonna say anything bad about your repair man, I don't know him/her. But I will say I would have a hard time trusting anyone with something I know I could not replace if things went sour. There are good people in this world and there are bad! Any safety measure you take can backfire in your face (serial numbers get scratched off, a back DOES get found etc...).

Just my $.02

You gave me new motivation to do it myself. I already tested all 20 tubes, replaced 9 of them. I do know of 2 split capacitors (black beauties) and a burnt resistor. I decided to not go to this guy and after reading your suggestions. My next move is to obtain replacements for the bad ones and go from there. Thanks all.

 

[gewecke]

Good decision! If you restore it yourself, you'll appreciate the efforts far more than if someone else did it.
Plus you'll never be second guessing yourself about if you took it to the right person? :wink:


73,
n9zas

 

[ridgescan]

Good decision! If you restore it yourself, you'll appreciate the efforts far more than if someone else did it.
Plus you'll never be second guessing yourself about if you took it to the right person? :wink:


73,
n9zas

This is true It's just a matter of obtaining the parts and soldering skill.

 

[majoco]

If the 'fixer' was only 70miles away, I would take it there myself and get a signed receipt for it. I would also seriously think about a one-off insurance payment to cover all eventualities - any broker should be able to set it up for you. You'd need to get a realistic valuation for the radio - bearing in mind that at the moment it doesn't go!

Personally, I'd have darn good go at fixing it myself. Perhaps if you joined here.....

Antique Radio Forums :: Index

....you'd get a lot of assistance - they are very helpful and knowledgeable.

 

[ridgescan]

Thanks Martin I will look in there and see if they can give some guidance. I have had this radio down for too long-when I was working, I was "too busy" now that I am retired it has been my fear of diving in now I have to just drop the excuses and do it.

 

[majoco]

Lots of info here.....

http://bama.edebris.com/manuals/hallicra/sx88/

 

[ridgescan]

Thank you again Martin. I'll take all I can get

 

[pathalogical]

What about MT magazine ? Isn't there a restoration column ? Contact them, see what they say. They'll know about parts availability, or even someone you can take it to. Maybe they'll wanna take the radio under their wings, make a future column out of it ! Couple of emails and pics oughta get ya started. Ya never know...Good luck !!!

 

[Daniel_Boone]

That is a nice radio indeed!

One of the great things about tube radios is that %99 of the time when they quit working it is indeed a tube.

Just my $.02

The truth is = most times the capacitors dries out or the components in the radio looses its value.

I have boxes of tubes that has not seen the light of day in 40 years, that still worked when I took them out of the box.

The funny thing was - they were stored in my grandfathers unheated, unventilated garage in Western Pennsylvania for 45 years - hence if the tubes can stand up to that - they can stand up to just about anything.

 

[ridgescan]

All the tubes are tested and are good. In my limited expertise I have located two split "black beauty" capacitors and one obviously flamed resistor. I called John Wetzel again, the guy who ran Alladin Radio Repair here in western San Francisco since the 50s, to see if he still had a supply of components there. He gave me the # of a guy in Palo Alto who he trusts (I trust Mr. Wetzel so..) and who supposedly has quite a few of these under his belt, and urged me to leave the repairs to a pro-so I will check him out.

 

[Robinsmark]

That is a nice radio indeed!

One of the great things about tube radios is that %99 of the time when they quit working it is indeed a tube.

I would test what I can (Go out and buy a meter) there at your home. Check switches and whatnot. Check wires. Check PSU. If all checks out you indeed know its a tube. Start trying to find tubes and replace.

The good news would be it would indeed be hit and miss and would be a DIY job and you don't have to worry about it. AND... It stays safe in your home while getting some new good tubes in case another fails... This way you have them and we all know that the good ones WILL fail someday.

Not gonna say anything bad about your repair man, I don't know him/her. But I will say I would have a hard time trusting anyone with something I know I could not replace if things went sour. There are good people in this world and there are bad! Any safety measure you take can backfire in your face (serial numbers get scratched off, a back DOES get found etc...).

Just my $.02

Personally I would put my money on it being a bad electrolytic capacitor. Even if the capacitor has yet to fail they also change value as they age. I put in new ones BEFORE they fail.

 

[corbintechboy]

Personally I would put my money on it being a bad electrolytic capacitor. Even if the capacitor has yet to fail they also change value as they age. I put in new ones BEFORE they fail.

I am a little younger then some and came in towards the end of the tube era (now 36).

I remember having tube tvs and a tube floor model stereo and I remember the radio I begged my daddy for at a flea market at about 6 that was my first SW radio (an old Philco). Every time we had an issue with any of these devices my dad would take tubes to the local Drug Mart and test them free of charge on the old tube tester, it was always a tube in my limited experience.

So, my percentages may be be off a tad and some of those with more life experience may know a little better. I just call them how I saw them .

 

[ridgescan]

Update-just for the record-I delivered the SX88 to a guy in Palo Alto, Ca. yesterday (8-26-2011) he is taking on the repairs/refurbishing she is moving in a direction now. Will keep you all posted.

 

[woebbers]

any help I can give you Ridge just ask... working on the last few radios I gained much experience...i have a line on a good supply house for parts..

Sal